"We gave our partner a long period of time to try to make arrangements to buy us out. We didn't put pressure on him but he ultimately did not get to the finishing line.

"Because of the things he said, the fans' reaction has been so negative to him that if we sold to him it has been made untenable for us.

"He threatened to block me selling to Dubai - that was certainly one of the things that made the fans upset."

The battle for control at Anfield has overshadowed events on the pitch this season and has put Rafa Benitez's future as manager at the club in jeopardy.

Matters were not helped when Hicks confirmed they had made an approach to bring coach Jurgen Klinsmann to the club, and Gillett said the repercussions of Hicks' comments have led to his family receiving death threats.

"We get as many as 2,000 emails a week. Ninety five per cent of them have been directed at some of the comments made by my partner.

"The fans don't want him to have even one share of my stake in the club, based on what they are sending to me. As a result of that we have received many phone calls in the middle of the night threatening our lives, death threats.

"A number came to the office and my son, Foster, and daughter-in-law, Lauren, have received them."

Gillett did not go into detail with regards to his plans for his stake at the club now and would only say there were "pieces on the chess board moving".

He said: "What I do know is that the fans and the fabled history of this club deserves better, and we are going to do whatever we can to prove that."